Should landlords self-manage or use an agent for the Renters’ Rights Bill?

I’ll continue to self-manage.

I’ll also continue to use to sell up.

Using a letting agent to manage your properties does not negate “the buck stops with the landlord” in relation to Landlord & Tenant regulations and legislation.

Too many PRS landlords think it does.

All using a letting agent should do is collecting the rent, having a pool of tradesmen that they can call on for any repairs/maintenance and following their client’s, the landlord’s, instructions.

I only ever used a letting agent to find tenants. I still used MY drafted Tenancy Agreements; MY Inventories, My drafted Deed for leasehold rentals to abide by ALL bar service charges and buildings insurance obligations and responsibilities that I had as the Leaseholder.

I still find it incredible that so many letting agents don’t know about a Deed to abide by a Leaseholders obligations and responsibilities, never mind getting tenants to sign one.

Allison Thompson, the national lettings managing director at Romans!
Rather a biased article; she’s hardly going to say that Landlords should manage their own property and not an agent.
I’ve managed mine for over forty years, and I’m not going to stop now

Most self managing landlords are probably already breaking one or more of the 400 plus laws and regulations, probably because they’re not even aware of them. The key differences in future will be that even more of the legislation will be unknown to them and the penalties for breaches will be eye-watering.

Using an agent is only a solution if you can find the right one and most appear only one step ahead of the landlord.

We used a ‘professional’ when we first started out. When the deposit protection laws came in I had to repeatedly chase her for evidence that the deposit had been paid to the DPS (given that I would be prosecuted, not her). She asked for my password (which obviously I refused) I finally managed to get the deposit paid to me, and transfer it myself just three days before she was arrested for fraud (she’d been using everyone’s deposits as her own personal income!)
I’ve never used an agent since.

the professional/competency levels of agents are much to be desired/bordering shocking most of the time and they thrive on making sure self management is too much hassle. yes it is but giving them 8 – 12 % commission each month after month….not for me.

They work on bulk managing, so are they really going to make sure everything is really in order/compliant when ultimately the buck rests with the LL anyway?

I MAY occasionally use a (fairly) trusted agent for tenant find only if I don’t have the time but I still go though each application with a fine toothcomb. It keeps them on their toes and they know I am no pushover either.

Reply to the comment left by Cider Drinker at 08/08/2025 – 09:45

Yes.
I think selling up for me.
Why put up with more & more legislation.
Councils looking for any reason to try & issue fines.
Neither Councils or the government want to work with landlords to improve the situation so why bother anymore.
The only thing I find hard is telling the tenants. However when I explain all these changes & fines my tenants say I don’t blame you.
So that’s 28 less houses for rent. It will take a while to move them all However one completed last week so I should say 27 less now.

Letting agency doesn’t know anything. There is no 400 legislation. Don’t promote letting agencies here. Gemini would provide better info than your agency. They all just earn money simply sitting, while landlord suffer with all kinds of cost.

I think the writer of this article is significantly over compensating the abilities and knowledge of your average local letting agent in your likes of connells etc.

I find it laughable that this article points to some kid at the start of their property career in an office having more knowledge and experience then a landlord/ lady who has not only purchased and maintained their own home, but purchased and maintained homes for other people thus far.

Come on, let’s not pretend this is an industry where there are high standards of employment.

From a landlady of three houses …. who was a letting agent at the start of their career and now owns an estate agency 😉

How about some of these agencies putting out a real alternative and offering small landlords leases thus freeing the owner from all of the legislative burden and associated risk?

They do not actually seem to want real responsibility just regular payments and the ability to wash their hands when things go wrong.